Buddhism is a philosophy that has taken on religious meaning by its followers. Originally it was the way that Siddhartha Gautama, a prince from the Sakya Clan in India, found enlightenment. Siddhartha Gautama was the man we now call Buddha, though Buddha himself had asserted that other Buddhas had come before him and others would certainly follow. Buddha means "enlightened one" and was a title that has become widely accepted as his name. The philosophy of Buddhism can be summed up by the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Noble Path.

The Four Noble Truths

The Four Noble Truths are:

1. There is suffering in this world (called the Saha world by Buddhists)

2. This suffering comes from our attachements, desires, and discriminations.

3. There is a way to end this suffering.

4. The way to end suffering for all sentient beings is through the Eightfold Noble Path

The Eightfold Noble Path

The Eightfold Noble Path is as follows:

1. Right ViewWisdom

2. Right Intention

3. Right SpeechEthical Conduct

4. Right Action

5. Right Livelihood

6. Right EffortMental Development

7. Right Mindfulness

8. Right Concentration/Right Dhyana

The Aim of Buddhism

The purpose of Buddhism is to gain enlightenment. Enlightenment can be reached by seeing the world as it is, and not how we wish it to be. It is important to realise that all things are connected at their most basic level, and that the form and lables of these things are inventions of the human mind. For example, a chair is a chair, so is a recliner or a kitchen table chair, because they conform to our idea of a chair. A stool is not a chair, even though you use it the same way. However, at thier subatomic level, they are both made of the same substance. Buddhism also recognizes that because we desire things and we do things to get them, we often hurt or deprive others in the course of satisfying our desires. The desire of Buddhists is enlightenment and peace for all sentient beings.